Thera 3.9: Yasoja
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(178):Yasoja Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter III. three Verses =178. Yasoja= Reborn in this Buddha-age at the gate of the city of Sāvatthī in a fisher's village, as the son of the headman of the 500 fishermen's families, he was called Yasoja. Come of age, he was one day fishing with the fishermen's sons in the River Aciravatī. And casting his net, he caught a great gold-coloured fish. They showed it to King Pasenadi(Prasenajit), who said: 'The Exalted One(Buddha) will know the cause of the fish's colour.' And the Exalted One(Buddha) told them that the fish had, in Kassapa Buddha's time, been a wicked bhikkhu, who had since then suffered in hell; that his sisters were still there, but that his brother as Thera had perfected life; and then for their good he taught the Kappila Sutta.1 Upon that Yasoja in deep emotion renounced the world, and his companions with him. Of his going with them to wait on the Exalted One(Buddha) at the Jeta-Vana, and of their dismissal because of the noise they made on arriving, the record stands in the Udāna.2 Dismissed, and living on the banks of the River Vaggumudā, Yasoja, like a highbred horse, his mettle stirred, strove and toiled till he acquired sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge). Thereafter the Exalted One sent for him. And he, from practising all the special austerities,3 was emaciated and uncomely. Then the Exalted One commended his self-denial in this verse: ---- 243 Kāḷapabbaŋgasaŋkāso kiso dhamanisanthato,|| Mattaññū annapānamhi adīnamanaso naro.|| || 244 Phuṭṭho 31 ḍaɱsehi makasehi araññasmiɱ brahāvane,|| Nāgo saŋgāmasīseva sato tatrādhivāsaye.|| || 245 Yathā brahmā tathā eko yathā devo tathā duve,|| Yathā gāmo tathā tayo kolāhālaɱ tatuttarinti.|| || ---- 243 Lo! here a man with frame so pale and worn; Like knotted stems of cane his joints, and sharp The emaciated network of his veins. In food and drink austerely temperate, His spirit neither crushed nor desolate. 167 And Yasoja so commended, praised the love of solitude, and taught doctrine thus: 244 In the great forest, in the mighty woods, Touched though I be by gadfly and by gnat, I yet would roam, like warrior-elephant In van of battle, mindful, vigilant.4 245 Alone a man is even as Brahma(ArchAngel). And as the angels if he have one mate. Like to a village is a group of three. Like to a noisy crowd if more there be. ---- 1 I cannot identify this Sutta. 2 Udāna, iii., Ī 8. In that work it is interesting, in view of the Thera's legend, that the Lord(Buddha), when rebuking Yasoja's followers, compares them to noisy fishermen. 3 These were not the self-inflicted tortures of Indian ascetics, but the Dhutangas, all of which are given in the Milinda, ii., bk. vi. 4 = XXXI. ---- =3.9 178 Commentary on the stanza of Yasojatthera= The stanza starting with Kālapabbaṅgasaṅkāso constitutes that of the venerable Thera Yasoja. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating acts of merit in this and that existence, was reborn in the family of a custodian of monastery (āramagopaka), at the time of the Blessed One Vipassī; on having attained the age of intelligence, he happened to have seen, one day, the Blessed One Vipassī soaring up in the sky, became pious-minded and offered bread fruit (lābujaphala) to Him. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human-beings, and was reborn as the son of a fisherman, who was the eldest of five hundred families in a fishing village at the gate of the city of Sāvatthi; they gave him the name Yosaja. On having come of age he threw the net in the river Aciravatī for the purpose of catching fish along with sons of fishermen, who were his associates. There a gold-coloured large fish entered inside the net. They showed it to king Pasenadī. The king, saying to himself; “The Blessed One knows the cause of the colour of the gold-coloured fish,” had the fish held and showed it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said thus:– “This One, having become a monk, in the dispensation of the well self-awakened Buddha Kassapa when it was waning (osakkamāha), regulating his life (paṭipajjanto) wrongly (micchā), made the dispensation (sāsanā) move back (osakkāpeti), and was reborn in purgatory and having been cooked in purgatory for an interval of a Buddha (ekaṃ Buddhantaraṃ) he passed away from there and came to be reborn as a fish in the river Aciravatī,” made but that fish speak of the state of it’s sister’s having sprung up in purgatory as well as the condition of it’s brother. Thera’s having entered parinibbāna and taught Kapilasutta for the sake of an annecdote of this one. After having heard the teaching of the Master, Yasoja became remorseful, became a monk, along with his own associates in the presence of the Master, and dwelling at a suitable site, he, one day, went with his assembly to Jetavana in order to pay his homage to the Blessed One. Over his arrival, there was a loud noise and great sound in the monastery with preparations of seats and beds and so on. On having heard it “The Blessed One dismissed (paṃāmesi) Yasoja along with his crowd;” thus, all about it should be understood in the manner as had come in the Udāna. Having, however, been dismissed, the venerable Yasoja became remorseful-minded, resembling an excellent well-bred horse, specially struck with a whip, dwelt together with his assembly on the shore of the river Vaggumudāya, striving and exerting, increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and became an Arahant with six sorts of super knowledge but during the lent (vassa). Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “In the city of Bandhumatī, I was then a custodian of an ashram (ārāmika). I saw the stainless Buddha soaring straight up into the sky. Having brought bread fruit along with me, I offered it to Buddha, the best, full of fame who accepted it while still having stood but in the sky. There was to me good promotion of prosperity (wittisaṅ janano) bringing bliss immediately (diṭṭhadhammasukhavāho), after I had offered the fruit to Buddha with clearly devout heart. I did gain then bountiful zest and the most excellent happiness; to me as I was born here and there, gem jewel but sprang up. It was ninetyone aeons (kappa) ago, that I then offered the fruit; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of fruit-offering (phaladāna) My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” The Master sent for the venerable Yosoja together with his crowd, on his having being an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge (abhiñña) and held conversation with him in connection with such proper attainment (samāpatti) of jhāna which remains static (āneñja). He carried out after having taken upon himself all the acts of austerity (dhutaṅga dhamma) also. On that account his body was thin, shabby and ugly. The Blessed One spoke the first stanza praising that absolute meagreness of desire. 213. “Sections of bodily limbs look black, thin and spread over with veins; the man understands his limit in his eating and drinking and is free from being lazy- minded.” There, kālapabbaṅga saṅkāso means: his limbs (aṅga) are like the joints (pabba) of dental (danti) creeper (latā), owing to thin, deformed (dusaṇṭhita) details (avayava) of his body, due to disappearance (vigamana) of integration (upacaya) of flesh; therefore, he said; “Kiso dhamani samthato.” Kiso means: thin in body owing to his fulfilling of the proper practice of moneyya austerity; dhamanisanthato means: with his body diffused (vitata), with prominent (pākaṭī) sinews (kaṇḍara) and viens (sirā) because of meagre flesh and blood; with his body (gatta) spread with veins. Mattaññā means: knows his quantity (pamāṇaññū) in seeking, accepting, making use (paribhoga) and giving out (vissajjana). Adīnamānaso means: one who is of detached (alāna) mind and laziless behaviour (akusitavutti). Naro means a man; a man of endurance (dhorayho), endowed with manly marks (lakkhaṇa) because of bearing (vāhana) of man’s burden (dhura); thus, is the significance. The Thera, being praised by the Master, in this manner, spoke two stanzas, in order to teach the truth (dhamma) to the monks, by way of (mukhena) announcing to them his own endurance (adhivāsana), forbearance (khantī), exertion and his special delight in solitude, commensurate with the condition of being praised. 244. “Bitten by mosquitoes and gad-flies in the forest wild wood, I was well aware exercising my forbearance there like unto an elephant at the head of the battle-field. 245. “According as the brahmā, likewise alone; according as a divine-being likewise two (of us monks); according as the village (monastery) likewise three (of us monks); I was beyond that quarrel (kolāhala, uproar). There, Nāgo saṅgāmasīse va means: according as a well-bred (ājāneyyo) bull-elephant in the fighting field (yuddhammaṇḍala) after having endured the striking with swords, spear (satti), lances (tomara) and so on, crushes (viddhaṃseti) the army of the enemy (parasenaṃ); araññasmiṃ brahāvane means: in the same way, a monk (dispels) the dangers of mosquitoes and so on in the forest; Sato means: one should endure by being thoughtful (sampajāno); having so endured also, one should crush the army of Māra by means of the vigour of meditation (bhābanā). Yathā brahmā means: he lives with bliss but always enjoying the bliss of jhāna free from (rahito) mental fury (pakopo), all alone according as a brahmā; tathā eko means: a monk also likewise lives happily all alone without any companion, enjoying (anubrūhanto) the bliss of seclusion. Indeed, it has been said; “The happiness of monkhood of a single individual is noble (paṇīta).” By means of this he gives instruction thus; a monk who dwells singly is “Brahmasamo (similar to brahmā).”'' Yathā devo tathā duve'' means: according as there might be mental fury in-between (antarantarā) divine beings, likewise in the dwelling together of two monks, there might be a crash also; thus, it has been said thus: a monk is “Devasamo” (similar to a divine-being) by his dwelling with a companion. Yathā gāmo tathā tayo means: there is no dwelling in seclusion; the living together of three monks which is similar to dwelling in a village, in that very text (pāṭha); thus, is the significance. Kolāhalaṃtatuttariṃ means: living together of many, above and beyond those three resembles the meeting of multitude of men making an uproar (kolāhalaṃ) involving noisy sound and great sound; therefore, there should by singly dwelling all alone; thus, is the significance. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Yasoja is complete. ----